Rick Baker
Born
December 8, 1950 (74 years old)
Known For
Costume & Make-Up
Place of Birth
Binghamton, New York, USA
Richard A. Baker (born December 8, 1950) is a retired American special make-up effects creator and actor, mostly known for his creature effects and designs. Baker won the Academy Award for Best Makeup a record seven times from a record eleven nominations, beginning when he won the inaugural award for the 1981 film An American Werewolf in London.
As a teen, Baker began creating artificial body parts in his own kitchen. He also appeared briefly in the fan production The Night Turkey, a one-hour, black-and-white video parody of The Night Stalker directed by William Malone. Baker's first professional job was as an assistant to prosthetic makeup effects veteran Dick Smith on the 1973 film The Exorcist. While working on The Exorcist, Baker was hired by director Larry Cohen to design and create a mutant infant for Cohen's 1974 film It's Alive.
Baker received the inaugural Academy Award for Best Makeup for his work on An American Werewolf in London. He also created the werewolf creature Michael Jackson transforms into in the music video Thriller. Subsequently, Baker has been nominated for the Best Makeup Oscar ten more times, winning on seven occasions, both records in his field.
Baker claims that his work on Harry and the Hendersons is one of his proudest achievements.[8] On October 3, 2009, he received the Jack Pierce – Lifetime Achievement Award title of the Chiller-Eyegore Awards.[9]
He was awarded a Doctorate of Humane Letters from the Academy of Art University San Francisco in 2008. He also contributes commentaries to the web series Trailers from Hell for trailers about horror and science fiction films.
Baker received the 2485th star of the Hollywood Walk of Fame on November 30, 2012. The star is located in front of the Guinness World Records Museum.
Baker announced his retirement on May 28, 2015: "First of all, the CG stuff definitely took away the animatronics part of what I do. It's also starting to take away the makeup part. The time is right, I am 64 years old, and the business is crazy right now. I like to do things right, and they wanted cheap and fast. That is not what I want to do, so I just decided it is basically time to get out. I would consider designing and consulting on something, but I don't think I will have a huge working studio anymore."
Known For
The AGFA Mystery Mixtape Vault
Self
2025
Fear and Love: The Story of The Exorcist
Self
2024
Old Time Radio: Your Move
The Caretaker
2023
AGFA MYSTERY MIXTAPE #1
Self
2020
Tales Beyond Madness
2019
Making Apes: The Artists Who Changed Film
Self
2019
Keep the Gaslight Burning
Mr Maxwell
2018
DC Daily
Self · (1 episode)
2018
King Cohen: The Wild World of Filmmaker Larry Cohen
Self
2018
The Beast Inside: Creating 'Wolf'
Rick Baker
2017
Cult of Terror
Self - Make-up Designer
2017
MonsterKids: The Impact of Things That Go Bump In The Night
Self
2017
Face Off: Game Face
Self - Judge · (7 episodes)
2017
Charlie Gemora: Uncredited
Himself
2016
Creature Designers: The Frankenstein Complex
Self
2015
Birth Pains
himself
2015
The Scanners Way: Creating the Special Effects in 'Scanners'
Himself
2014
House of Wax: Unlike Anything You've Seen Before!
Self
2013
Men in Black 3
Brain Alien
2012
Unchained Reaction
(6 episodes)
2012
Face Off
Guest Judge · (2 episodes)
2011
The Wolfman
Gypsy Man / First Killed
2010
The Wolf Man: From Ancient Curse to Modern Myth
Self
2010
Pure in Heart: The Life and Legacy of Lon Chaney, Jr.
Self
2010
I Walked with a Werewolf
Himself
2009
Beware the Moon: Remembering 'An American Werewolf in London'
Self
2009
Monsterland
Self
2009
RKO Production 601: The Making of “Kong, the Eighth Wonder of the World”
Self
2008
He Who Made Monsters: The Life and Art of Jack Pierce
Self
2008
Teddy Scares
Hester Golem (voice)
2006
Working with a Master: John Landis
Self
2006
The Sci-Fi Boys
Self
2006
The Perfect Scary Movie
Self
2005
The Art of Imagination: A Tribute to Oz
Self
2005
Ed Wood: Making Bela
Self
2004
Videodrome: Forging the New Flesh
Self
2004
Rick Baker: Alien Maker
Self
2002
The 'Frankenstein' Files: How Hollywood Made a Monster
Self
2002
Men in Black II
MIB Passport Control Agent
2002
Planet of the Apes
Old Ape #2
2001
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Puppeteer
2000
Metamorphosis of 'Men in Black'
Self
2000
Mummy Dearest: A Horror Tradition Unearthed
Self
2000
The Road to 'Dracula'
Self
1999
She's Alive! Creating 'The Bride of Frankenstein'
Self
1999
Monster by Moonlight! The Immortal Saga of 'The Wolf Man'
Self
1999
A Tribute to the Wizard of Oz
Himself
1999
The Making of Men in Black
Self
1997
It's Alive: The True Story of Frankenstein
Self
1994
Masters of Illusion: The Wizards of Special Effects
Self
1994
The Making of Captain EO
Self
1986
King Kong! The Living Legend
Self / King Kong
1986
Fangoria's Weekend of Horrors
Self
1986
Into the Night
Drug Dealer
1985
Making Michael Jackson's Thriller
Self
1983
Michael Jackson's Thriller
Zombie Opening the Crypt (uncredited)
1983
The Making of David Cronenberg's Videodrome
Interviewee
1982
The Incredible Shrinking Woman
Sidney
1981
The Kentucky Fried Movie
Dino (segment "A.M. Today") (as Richard A. Baker)
1977
King Kong
King Kong
1976
The Thing with Two Heads
Gorilla
1972
Old Time Radio: Dance With Me
Caretaker